Letters to the Editor: July 24, 2008

This letter is written in response to Thom Hahn’s letter to the editor on July 3rd.

In his letter he said that David Piece and two other swimmers had to be rescued at Children’s Pool. That is not so.

Two divers surfaced off Seal Rock and were in a rip current. They were monitored by the lifeguards from the Children’s Pool station, who launched the surfboard to give assistance.

The seal protestors had frightened and intimidated everyone else from using Children’s Pool.

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The lifeguards decided to lend a hand.

The divers did not signal for assistance.

As for myself, I had navigated underwater and was in the entrance of the pool when I noticed that two feet were dangling above me. I could see the rescue surfboard, so I surfaced from eight feet down to see what was up.

He said, “Grab on I’ll bring you in.”

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I said. “I’m OK.”

He said, “I knew you were just coming back, and it’s no problem.”

The lifeguard had paddled his surfboard from Children’s Pool out to Seal Rock and brought the divers into Shell Beach. After dropping them off, he returned to Children’s Pool when he paddled over me and saw my bubbles and stopped. Then I surfaced.

I know this is true because I talked to both divers and lifeguards.

This is just another attempt for the seal protestors to try to spin this to make people believe that Children’s Pool is not a safe place to swim or dive, when the truth is Shell Beach and South Casa have the worst rip currents in La Jolla.

And that is why Ellen Browning Scripps donated $70,000 to build a safe place to swim.

And there are lifeguards now on duty at Children’s Pool, thanks to Richard Gurascio.

David Pierce

San Diego

Thanks, La Jolla Kayak

Fire survivors, Wildfire Recovery and the staff of Ramona Fire Recovery Center want to extend our heartfelt thanks to La Jolla Kayak for an extraordinary day of “Fun in the Sun.”

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Your generosity and time were so appreciated! You went above and beyond to give us a respite from our struggles.

We enjoyed kayaking, snorkeling and taking time for ourselves, as a wonderful gift from you and your caring employees.

Although those in attendance at the new Safe, Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative (SHNI) meeting Sept. 4 in the La Jolla Library were seeking local solutions to the homelessness they’ve observed in their neighborhoods, they were met instead with broader City- and County-wide resources that address the varied facets of this very complex issue.

Sitting at the Brick & Bell coffee shop in La Jolla Shores on Sept. 4 with local residents Sandra Munson and Tim Johnson as they catch up over iced teas, one would never know that just three weeks prior, the two were undergoing surgery so Munson could donate a kidney to Johnson.